Estamos muertos

When I heard of this Korean high school zombie series I was interested, despite the subject matter being done to death over the years. Then I saw the trailer and thought it looked amazing. Having just finished up the show, I can confirm that this is one of the most entertaining shows out there, and far surpasses the likes of THE WALKING DEAD. The small scale works a treat and somehow they manage to eke out the momentum over the whole 12-episode arc. It never feels too small and it never feels dull, packed as it is with expertly directed action and tense mayhem. The Koreans excel in this one and I loved every minute of it.

There's a lot to unpack here, but the core problem is that there are maybe 6 great episodes worth of content in this 12 episode series.

When it gets it right, it gets it very right. Love, loss, longing, poignancy, savagery and pathos, it's all there. The writing, acting and production are strong enough to get you engaged, so as the cast get chowed on, you'll feel it.

However, it suffers from uneven tone, with too many cliched tropes and characters. Big-awkward guy, punky-girl, straight-laced nerd hottie, alpha and beta heroes, coward, and generic thug villain. You've seen them all before, many times.

Some scenes eschew peril for jarring slapstick, which breaks you right out of immersion. There's far, far too much shrieking, repetition, indecision, repetition, pointless sacrifice, and repetition.

Still, the effects, both practical, makeup and subtle CGI are top notch, the overall story arc is well conceived, and there are a few touching character developments.

It's not amazing, but it's solid, and it ends strongly and credibly without pushing the To Be Continued too hard. Just about worth your time.

The action of the zombies in this show is very realistic. It is interesting to watch the relationship between friends. Well executed until the middle of the series. From the ridiculous lines, to the moronic "decisions" to the horrible way they treated some characters. The typical Netflix-style ending was a bit disappointing, but I really enjoyed this show.

South Korea can make damn good zombie shows.

Overall, this was a fun, intense, and emotional watch. I binged it and couldn't stop, which I normally get bored of doing with most shows.

The characters were greatly developed and the story was compelling. You'll find yourself shocked with grief, laughing at well executed jokes, or intensely watching the screen wondering what will happen. Literally anyone can die in this, which adds to the anticipation. If you aren't into reading subtitles the English dubbing was also well done.

A couple quirks here and there, like the constant replaying of old scenes during "aha" or reminiscing moments. It's a bit overdone but not a problem really.

I don't want to give it a 10 because it's not like it's the best show ever made, but I would give it a 10/10 for entertainment alone. Definitely worth the watch.

The serie is quite fun to watch but it doesn't bring anything new or special, unfortunately because sometimes these kind of movies from South Korean production companies can be a hidden gem (i.e. Train to Busan). However, it is really a South Korean zombie production so if you don't like that, don't bother to watch it. However, it doesn't meet the level of TWD but it definitely is much better than FTWD.

For those who love South Korean zombie production, All of Us are Dead is worth to watch. Sometimes it is a bit annoying and slow that you start to wonder whether you are watching a highschool serie. However, I binged it in a weekend and I kinda got into the main characters of the serie. I just hope that Netflix won't kill this serie and that it will order a 2nd season as the story got potential for another interesting zombie season.